Starting apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



J. A. ALLISON & 0. H. SKINNER. STARTING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTiON ENGINES.

APPLiCATlON FILED NOV. 7 1911- Pai'em'edjaug. 2%, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a. A; ALUSON & 0. H. SKINNER.

STARTENQ APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL CQMBUSTEON ENGINE$l APPLICATION HLED HOV-T1191}. Llfil lfia Patented 5242, 915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

7 W1 ZNESSES JAMES A. ALLISON AND ORAMEL H. SEQ FIXER, 0F INDEANAPO.l'IIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNGRS TO THE FREST-O-LITE COMPANY, OF TL'NDl'dNdPOLIS, INDIANA, CORPORATION OF ENBIABLQ" STARTING- APPARATUS F033,. INTERNdL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Aug, 2 2, 19115,

Application filed November 7, 1911. Serial No. 659,006.

11 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, James A. ALLISON diIlCljORr'lllEL H. Snirzxnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in

' the county of Marion and State of Indiana,

- any appropriate sparker, for starting said engine, and, further, to providesuch an apparatus sothat its operation will definitely measure and supply a uniform charge to each cylinder.

it consists, further, in an arrangement for feeding acetylene gas from the same source to the intake manifold of the engine as may be necessary to continue the operation thereof until-the carburetor is working properly and supplying a satisfactory mixture for the purpose, all as Wlll be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

. longitudinal section through the same on the dotted line 3-3 in Fig. 4. Fig. 4, a cross section on dotted line H in Figs. .2 and 3. Fig. 5, a cross section on dotted line 55 in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 6, a detail view illustrating the cheek-valve used between the pump cylinders and the pipe leading to the engine cylinders; Fig. 7, a detail view illustrating the che clr valve used at the connection of said. pi ass with the engine cylinders. Fig. 8, a deta l, View illustrating the pressure reducer on an enlarged scale, as seen from dotted line 8-8 in Fig. 1. Fig. 9, a detail View illustrating a modified form of pump, and F i g. 10,.a detail view illustrating a modified form of check-valve.

in said drawings the portion marked A represents the vehicle body, B the engine, and G the acetylene tank. These several parts are, or may be, of a common form such as are in every day use on automobiles and require no special-description.

' The acetylene tank'C is preferably of the PrestO-Zite type such as is in general use. It hasa pressure reducer, or regulator, C attached thereto, of the automatically operating type which in itself is no part of the present invention, but is important as one of the elements contributing to the success and practicability of its operation.

Thepump which constitutes a leading element of our invention comprises a body 10 containing a central suction cylinder 11 surrounded by as many discharge cylinders as the engine has cylinders. In the drawings .we have illustrated a four cylinder engine and also a four discharge cylinder pump. The four discharge cylinders are each connected with the centralsuction cylinder'll by a port-hole 12 located near the outer end thereof. The ends of body 10 are closed by 16 which extends out through head 13 and I is attachedto a common handle 17. A similar piston P is mounted in the suction cylinder 11' on a piston .rod 18 which is also secured to and operated by the handle 17. A.

check-valve casing 19 is mounted in the inner end of each discharge cylinder and conne'eted by a pipe 20 to a chcclcvalve casing 21 mounted in the head of each engine cylinder 15 adjacent to the sparlr plug 8. A boss 23 is formed .on end 14; having an importure leading into the suction cylinder 11 and the end 22 of a pipe 2% connects therewith in anyappropriate manner, and leads to the pressure regulator C of the acetylene tank C. A valve 25 is mounted in said pipe 24 adjacent to the dasho' of the vehicle, the

stem 26 of said valve projecting throiigh 1 said dash and being provided with an 'appropriate hand wheel for operating the same. A branch pipe 27.-,leads.from said pipe 24 on the side of valve 25 toward sup ply tank-and is provided with a valve 28 adjacent to the dash 11 having a valvestem 29 extending through said dash and provided with a hand wheel by which it may be operated. Said branch 27 leads to and is connected with the intake manifold b of the engine. a

In order to secure the best results it is important that the details of construction be accuratelyand perfectly developed, and to this-end we have provided special forms of check-valves which may be used to advan- .threaded perforation in the end' of each pump cylinder (or otherwise appropriately secured) and having, a screw-threaded outer end which iscbored out to form a chamber in which a cylindrical valve 31 may operate,

and is also formed with asmaller central perforation 32 leading to within thepump cylinder. Around the inner'end of said perforation 32isformed tapered seat for the cone-shaped end of said valve 31, An outer shell 33 is screwed onto the outer end of casing 19 having a port 34 leading intothe valve chamber. Said shell 33 is formed with a neck piece 35 to which a pipe 20 may be appropriately attached. A coiled spri'ng 36 is mounted within hollow valve 31 to 'hold the same normally to its seat.

In Fig. 7 we have illustrated the preferred form of check-valve for use in the end of the engine cylinder,'the same comprising a casingor plug 21 screwed into a perforation in theengine cylinder and formed with a valve chamber in its upper end and a port 44 leading therefrom into said cylinder. It has an L 40 on one-side formed with a seat for a steel tail-piece 41 which is secured therein by means of a screw-threaded collar 42 engaging with a shoulder on said tailpiece. A port 43 leads into the valve chamber within the plug 21. A valve comprising a weighted cylinder 45 with a cone-shaped lower end is mounted in said valve chamber with its point seated upon a tapered valve at the inner end of port 42. r

In Fig. 9 we have shown a modified form I of pump comprising two double acting cylinders divided by the pistons -:30 and 51. One cylinder has an inlet valve and a discharge valve 53 at one end and an inlet valve 54 and. a discharge -valve 55 at its other end, while the other cylinder is similarly provided with an inlet valve 56 and an outlet valve 57 at one end an inlet valve 58 and an outlet 59 at its other end. The operation of the pistons, in either direction, draws a charge into each cylinder on one side and discharges one on the other, as will be readily understood. We also illustrate in Fig. 10 a modified form of check-valve, merely to show one substitute form which may be found practicable.

The operation of our said invention is as follows: The engine being at a standstill, and it being desired to start the same, the

operator opens valve 25 which establishes communication, through pipe 24, between pump 10 and the pressure reducing chamber 0 of the acetylene tank C. By drawing the pistons 15 outward to the extreme limit of their motion a definite quantity of the acetylene gas is drawn into suction cylinder 11 and at the same time a vacuum is created the discharge cylinders surrounding said suction cylinder. A soon as the pistons pass the port-holes 12, leading from the suction cylinder into said discharge cylinders, the gas rushes into the .vacuum thus created and each discharge cylinder receives its proportion of the charge of acetylene from cylinder 11. By reason of taking the acetylene from the low pressure chamber of the pressure regulator C which .is always automatically maintained at a uniform pressure it is always drawn from a chamber containing gas at uniform pressure, which is usually very low, and not calculated to afi'ect the operation of "the pump.' The pump,

therefore, always takes a definitely measured quantity of the acetylene gas at each sue tion stroke. The check-valves 31 hold the discharge cylinders closed during the suction stroke and thus a uniform vacuum is created in each discharge cylinder so that as soon as the portholes 12, of uniform area, are uncovered each cylinder takes an equal proportion of the charge of the acetylene in suction cylinder 11; A soon as the pistons start back on the discharge stroke ports 12 are covered and further communi- ("at-ion between the suction cylinder and discharge cylinders is cut off so that no further acetylene gas can be taken into said discharge cylinders until the next suction stroke of the pistons has been completed.

charge under this system will probably be i exhausted, but the three explosions,under ordinary conditions, will be sufiicient to continue the engine in motion until the carbureter is properly working and supplying the regular mixture to the cylinders. Under some conditions, as in very cold weather,

when it takes longer for the carbureter to get into proper working condition, valve 29 may be opened and a supply of acetylene gas permitted to flow through pipe 27 to the intake manifold b of the engine and from thence to the respective engines, supplying the fuel to continue the engine in operation untihthe" carbureter is working normally. Valve 28 is then closed and the supply of gas cut off. Valve 25 may be closed, butin practice it has been found not necessary, in-

1. An apparatus for starting" internal combustion engines comprising an explosive fuel supply, pipes leading therefrom to the engine cylinders, a pump interposed in said pipes formed with an intake cylinder to receive a measured charge from the supply at each suction stroke and a number of discharge cylinders corresponding tothe numher of engine cylinders and arranged to deliver to each engine cylinder a definite quantity of the explosive fuel at each discharge stroke, substantially as set forth;

2 An apparatus for starting internal combustion engines comprlsing an explosive.

fuel container, a pressure regulator attached thereto, pipes leading from the low pressure chamber of said pressure regulator to the several cylinders of the engine, a pump interposed in said pipes and formed with a suction cylinder and a number of discharge cylinders correspondingi'to the number. of cylinders of the engine, each of which communicates with said suction cylinder through a port located near the limit of the suction stroke of the piston, the suction cylinder being connected with the supply and thedischarge cylinders with the engineaand check-valves for controlling the i ports leading from the discharge cylinders and the poi-m leading into the engine cylin-.

der, substantially as set forth.

3. An apparatus for supplying explosive fuel to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine comprising a compound cylinder pump having a suction cylinder adapted to measure the charge and a number of discharge cylinders correspondingilwith the number-of engine cylinders communicating therewith at the limit of the charge intake stroke, and suitable pipes connecting said pump with the supply and with the engine cylinders, substantially as set forth.

4:. An apparatus for supplying explosive fuel to a multiple cylinder engine comprising a multiple cylinder pump having a suctiou cylinder connected with the explosive fuel supply and a different discharge cylinder connected with each engine. cylinder, substantially as set forth.

5. An apparatus for starting internal combustion engines comprising a multiple cylinder pump having a suctioncylinder 8.0

and a discharge cylinder for each engine cylinder and arranged to supply a uniform charge at each discharge stroke of the pump,

substantially asset forth,

6. An apparatus combustion engines comprising an explosive fuel supply, a pressure regulator connected therewith, a pipe leading from the low pres sure side of said regulator to a pump, said pump, pipes leading flrom said pump to the several engine cylinders, a branch pipe connected with the supply pipe at one side of the pump and leading to the intake manifold of the engine, and a valvefor controlling the flow through said branch pipe, substantially as set forth.

7. An apparatus -for starting internal combustion engines comprising an explosive fuel supply, a .pipe' leading therefrom to a measuring and injecting pump, pipes leadin from said pump to the several engine cy inders, valves for controlling the flow through said'pipes, a branch pipe connected with the supply pipe at one side of the pump and connected with the intake manifiold of the engine, and a valve for controlling the flow through said branch pipe, substantially as set forth.

8. An apparatus for starting internal combustion engines comprising an explosive fuel supply, a pump having a central suction cylinder, a pipe connecting'said cylinder with said supply, said pump also having a discharge cylinder for each engine cylinder communicating with said suction cylinder, a pipe connecting each discharge cylinder to an engine, and check-valves appropriately located to control the passages, sub stantially as set forth.

9. An apparatus forstarting internal combustion engin s comprising an explosivefuel supply, a p mp formed with one suction cylinder connected with said fuel supdischarge cylinder connected I with the engine cylinder, means for permit 5 ply, another ting the charge to flow from the suction cylinder to the discharge cylinder at the limit of the suction.- stroke, means for closfor starting internal 85 ing the outlet from the discharge cylinder 28th day of October, A. D. nineteen hundred during the suction stroke, and means for and eleven.

closing the inlet to the suction cylinder dur- JAMES A. ALLISON. [L. s.] ing the discharge stroke, substantially as set ORAMEL H. SKINNER. [11.8.1 5 forth. i Witnesses:

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set E. W. BRADFORD,-

our hands and seals at Indianapolis this S. M. COOLEY. 

